It’s interesting that yesterday’s news about Marissa Mayer and her appointment as Yahoo’s new chief executive has almost been eclipsed by the news of her pregnancy.
I find it refreshing to see an increasing number of tech companies startups co-founded or run by women, and many of these women also expertly balance busy families, volunteer their time, sit on executive boards and maintain a healthy lifestyle through sport or yoga on top of their already demanding, high profile booming careers. For instance, Mayer is on the board at Walmart and other various nonprofits, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Ballet and the New York City Ballet. People nowadays do it all. Mayer is quoted to have said, “”You can be good at technology and like fashion and art. You can be good at technology and be a jock. You can be good at technology and be a mom. You can do it your way, on your terms.” Source: CNN.
I’m inspired by someone like Marissa who does seem to do it all. But, take pause, she works hard. Her work ethic is legendary. As I reflect on being a businesswoman and a mom, I have to work hard every day to find both energy and balance. I find energy in our work at ACTIVE and I find energy in being active. I chase my girls to ballet class. I am joining ACTIVE to raise money for Challenged Athletes Foundation. I’ve committed to a distance swim challenge with my husband, brother, sister and co-workers. Uh, oh. The one thing I’ve realized is that I only have time for things I love.
According to a recent ACTIVE.com Consumer Insights panel survey, we found that mom’s are the hub of family activity. I wouldn’t hesitate to classify Mayer as an ACTIVE mom. ACTIVE moms are…
Busy, but Take Time to Stay Active
- 72 percent of Active Moms work full or part time, and 12% are self employed
- 50 percent participate in a physical activity 5 – 6 times per week
- 61 percent belong to a health club
A Big Influence in Their Entire Family’s Health
- The number one reason for working out is Physical Health (94%) followed by Stress Relief (84%)
- One in three state that all members of their household participate in multiple sports
- 76 percent strongly agree or agree that their friends/family frequently ask them questions about health and fitness
Involved! Youth Sports Are a Family Affair
- 12 percent of Active Moms describe themselves as a coach and 30% describe themselves as volunteers
- 45 percent supply snacks after games
- 72 percent strongly agree with “Sports/activities are an important part of my life”
Women like Marissa show that with truly active people, they are engaged in every aspect of their life. They bring passion and participation to work. To their families. To friends. To things they love to do.
Our Grassroots Participation Study that we are announcing in the next month with SGMA found that active parents have youth and teens in more sports. In fact, as the number of parent activities increases, so does the percent of families with youth and teens participating in two or more activities. It’s more than likely that as Marissa incorporates a child into her life, that child will have no choice but to be active as well.
Kristin Carroll leads our corporate & consumer marketing teams and gets active by chasing after her two little girls, trying to stay fit and chasing after big time adventures.
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